Cartographies to Empower Democracy

Gabriel discusses the power of maps in shaping democracy. Cartographies can be ways to denounce spatial and political divisions that prevent our societies from establishing more egalitarian and inclusive public spheres. By making certain conditions visible, maps become active tools to foreground attacks against our people and the environment, while empowering groups that are being silenced. Taking contemporary Brazil as a case study, Gabriel’s work shows the association between the burning of the Amazon, the rise in Covid-19 deaths and the governmental attempt to dismantle democracy. His presentation connects his cartographical work for the Venice Biennale with his current philanthropic initiative to fight the spread of the virus among Brazil’s indigenous communities.